Remote control unit for motion picture machines



Dec. 26, 1944. A. H. BOUTERIOUS REMOTE CONTROL UNIT FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES Filed Aug. 6, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l It," drllr lnrlllllfllllfl!!! INVENTOR Ar/hur /7. fioufe/v'ous BY #74 C 7 A;

Dec. 26, 1944. A gus 2,365,859

REMOTE CONTROL UNIT FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES Filed Aug. 6, 1941 v s Sheets-Sheet 2 I II II INVENTOR i Arf/vur/vf Bou/er '01/5 1944- A. H. BOUTERIOUS I 2,365,859

REMOTE CONTROL UNIT FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES Filed Ag. 6, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 /05 I J09 1 J 5 L L f Patented cs... 26, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOTE CONTROL UNIT FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES Arthur H. Bouterious, Oakland, Calif., assignor to v Mills Sales Company, Ltd., Oakland, Calif., a

corporation of Nevada- Application August 6, 1941, Serial No. 405,646

4 Claims.

The invention relates to a remote control unit for a coin controlled motion picture sound machine.

An object of the present, invention is to provide a remote control unit of the character described corresponding to the projection screen of the main machine in which may be mounted a picture corresponding to one of the film scenes being projected at the main machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a remote controlunit of the character described in which a plurality of pictures may be carried by the remote control unit corresponding with a plurality of film subjects to be shown at the main machine and mechanism for successively advancing such ictures into position of view at the remote control unit in synchronism with the showing of the several film subjects at the main machine.

The invention possesses other objects 'and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the inventionwhich is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the main mo- Figure 3 is a cross-sectional .view of the remotev control unit taken at right angles to-the plane of Figure'2 and is indicated by" the plane of line 3-4 of Figure 2. V

F ure 4 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical circuit used in the remote control show-' ing its operative connection to the main unit.

45 trade-mark Panoram.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a medi fled form of the remote control unit.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a modified remote control unit taken at right angles to the plane of Figure 5 and as indicated by the plane of line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of line 1-1 of Figure 6.

m Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional View taken substantially on the plane of line 8--8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electrical circuit used in the modified form of re mote control.

As aforementioned the remote control unit It of the present invention is adapted for use with a motion picture sound machine i2 which in cludes as a part thereof a cabinet it having a motion picture projection screen it in the front thereof, upon which motion picture subjects are projectecHriy a motion picture projector of customary form contained within the'cabinet. The

main unit I2 is not part of the present invention,

and hence a detailed showing of its several parts and detailed description of its operation will not be considered, it being sufiicient for present purposes to state that the motion picture projector contained within the unit is operatively connected 20 to an electrically controlled circuit including a coin controlled switch for energizing the circuit and a film control switch for deenergizing the circuit at the end of each film subject. In the type of machine here illustrated the coin controlled mechanism is provided with a coin entry slot IS in the front thereof below the screen l4 and there is a sound emitting grill ll in the lower part of the front wall for the exit of sound which accompanies the film and is obtained from a sound track on the film amplified through appropriate amplifier and loud speaker arrangement. The machine depicted in the accompanying drawings is one corresponding in type to one marketed byv the Mills Novelty Company of Chicago under the The electrical control circuit for this machine has its connections in a terminalblock l8 illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings and later referred to.

. The remote control unit I l, as will be seen from Figures 1, 2 and 3, comprises a casing l9 here of wall 21 thereof is a coin'selection mechanism 28 which is adapted to receive a coin at the top thereof from a coin entry chute 29 mounted at the top wall of the box and which serves to classify coins or slugs or the like entered therein and to cause the movement of a proper coin against a trip lever 3| operating to close the contacts of an electric switch 32. Improper coins or slugs are ejected by the selection mechanism 28 into a return chute 33 opening to the front wall 2| of the unit adjacent the top thereof. The electric switch 32 is operatively connected to the control circuit for the main machine to substitute its operation for the coin control switch of the main machine, as will be further hereinafter referred to.

As an important feature of the present invention, I provide in the remote control casing l9, as here in the front wall 2| thereof, a window opening 34 for the display of a picture 36 corresponding with one of the pictures projected onto the screen H of the main machine. Preferably a pane 31 of transparent material such as glass is mounted across th opening 34 and the picture 36 is held against the pane at the inside of the casing by means of vertical guides 38 and 39 mounted along the opposite sides of the opening and engaging the edge of the picture. Also pref erably a spring holder 4| is carried by the front wall and contacts the central portion of the picture to urge the latter against the glass pane.

Preferably and as here shown, the exterior design of the remote control unit closely follows that of the main unit and is generally proportioned in accordance therewith, although being of a much smaller size; thus the window opening 34 and the pane 31 and picture 36 occupy sub stantially the same position in the control box as does the screen I 4 of the main machine.

The electrical connection of the control box to the main machine is illustrated in Figure 4. In the upper part of this view there is illustrated as aforementioned the terminal block I8 of the main machine which includes two rows 42 and 43 of electrical terminals. The contacts of the coin control switch of the main machine are connected to terminals 44 and 46 of the terminal block I8. In the main machine the coin control switch is connected in a circuit energized by the service voltage at the point of installation, usually 110 volts, and the other side of this electrical potential is connected to terminal 41, thus placing the line voltage across terminals 44 and 41. Preferably in order to avoid the use of the relatively high line voltage in the remote control circuit, I prefer to introduce into the control circuit a relay switch 46 including switch contacts 49 and a magnetic actuator therefor which is in turn operated by a reduced elecrical potential obtained by means of a step-down transformer 52 connected in an electric circuit with the coin control switch 32 at the remote control unit. The switch 49 is connected across terminals 44 and 46 in parallel with the coin control switch of the main machine by means of conductors 56 and 53. The primary winding of the transformer 52 is connected by conductors 56 and 64 to terminals 44 and 41 and the secondary low voltage winding of the transformer is connected in a series circuit with the actuator 5| and the coin control switch 32 at the remote control box. In this circuit one side of th secondary winding is connected by of the actuator is connected to the other side of the secondary winding by conductor 6|. 'A fuse 62 may be inserted in the secondary circuit as here shown between the conductor 66 and the secondary winding of the transformer. A low voltage pilot light 63 may be mounted in the remote control box and connected across the secondary winding of the transformer by conductor 64 connecting with conductor 51 aforesaid and conductor 66 connecting with conductor 61 in turn connected to the opposite side of the secondary winding of the transformer. The conductors 59, 61 and 56 are shown leading off from the view and grouped as a cable 66 for connection to other remote control boxes. By reason of the wiring arrangement explained, the control unit including the transformer 52 and relay switch 48 may be mounted at the main machine l2, leaving only the connections to the pilot light 63 and coin control switch 32 to be made by a low voltage cable extending to the remote control box ll. As will be understood, the primary winding of the transformer 52 is constantly energized and the closing of the remote control switch 32 energizes the magnetic actuator 5| to close switch 49 and the closing of this switch closes the electric circuit across terminals 44 and 46 aforementioned in the identical manner as does the closing of the coin control switch in the main machine, whereby the motion picture projector is set into operation. The stopping of the motion picture machine at the end of showing of the film subject being projected is effected by a control switch operated by the film itself as aforementioned.

As a modified form of the invention I have disclosed in Figures 5 to 9, a construction wherein a plurality of pictures are mounted at the remote control unit II and supported for movement across the window pane 31 thereof, and mechanism is provided for changing the picture at the window opening at the end of the showing of each film subject at the main machine whereby the picture shown at the remote control unit will indicate the next film subject to be shown at the main machine. With reference to Figure 5, it will be seen that the casing I9 of the remote control unit is made somewhat deeper than in the first embodiment so as to increase the available space between the front wall 2| of the casing and the coin control mechanism 26' mounted on the rear wall 21 of the casing. Mounted upon parallel shafts 66 and 69 extending transversely through the casing between end walls 22' and 23' are reel spools II and 12 which support at their opposite ends a reel 13 containing a plurality of pictures, each being approximately the size-of the window pane 31'. Preferably the spools II and 12 are movable endwise on shafts 66 and 69 whereby the spools and the reel supported thereby may be moved into the machine and removed from the machine as a unit through end wall 22' which for this purpose is removably secured to the casing as by means of screws 14 detachably connecting the end wall 22' to the top and bottom walls 24 and 26' and the front and rear walls 2| and 21. Also as here shown the upper reel spool II is splined to shaft 66 for joint rotation. In accordance with the present construction the diameter of the reel spools and particularly of the upper reel spool II is such that two complete revolutions of the reel spool II will cause one complete revolution of the reel 13 so as to present for view each and all of the pictures contained on the reel. As will be seen from Figure 5, the reel is aaeaeoc of sufllcient length to accommodate six pictures, each equal in size to thewindow pane 31. Carried on the upper shaft 88 and keyed thereto for rotation therewith is a step-up gear 16 which meshes with a drive gear 11 carried on and keyed to a transverse shaft 18 mounted approximately In accordance with th present arrangement,

means is provided for rotating the drive gear 11 by one-sixth of a revolution at the end of showing of each of the film subjects in the main machine. Such a rotation is imparted to the drive gear 11 by means or a solenoid actuator 18 opcrating through a rack 8| pivoted at its upper end to the solenoid plunger 88 and engaging rack gear 82 mounted for free rotation oh shaft 18. The gear is provided with a pin or projection 83 mounted to engage a pin or projection 84 on the drive gear 11,.wh-ereby rotation of the rack gear 82 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure '7, will cause a corresponding rotation of the drive gear 11. The rack 8| is guided for appropriate longitudinalreciprocation so as to engage the rack gear 82 in only one direction of longitudinal movement, by a guide slot 86 provided in the end wall 23 and in which is engaged a pin 81 provided on'the rack 8I. As will be best seen from Figure 7, the rack is normally held in a downwardly extended posi-' tion with the solenoid plunger extended from the actuator 18 by means of a tension spring 88. The guide slot 86 is formed with substantially parallel spaced vertical slots 88 and 8| connected at the upper and lower ends by cross slots 82 and 93 and springs 84 and 86 are mounted on the end wall 23' for engagement with the pin 81 to cause therack to descend under action of spring 88 in I contact with guide slot ill to produce rotation of rack gear 82, to move laterally through guide slot 88 in spaced relation to the rack gear under operation of actuator 19, and then to move laterally through guide slot 92 to complete its cycle of movement. The length of the vertical slots 89 and BI is such as to produce a sixth of a revolution of the drive gear upon each cycle of movement of the rack.

Preferably means is provided to enable manual movement of the pictures so that a user of the instrument may successively positio'nthe pictures before the Window opening 31' to ascertain what subjects will be shown by the main machine. For this purpose the shaft 18 is extended through the end wall 23' and is provided at its outer end with a manually engageable knob 91. As will be seen from Figure 6, the rotation of the knob 81 will effect a direct rotation of the drive gear 11 and a corresponding rotation of the film spools. 7111 order that the predetermined position of the actuating mechanism may be maintained corresponding to the next film subject to be shown by the main machine, an elastic connection is made between the rack gear 82 and the drive gear 11, whereby the latter may be advanced independently of the rack gear by the manual knob 81, but when the knob is released be returned by the elastic connection to its proper position. Such av connection is here provided in the form of a clock spring 98 mounted concentrically about s it 18 and connected between gears 82 and 11 in such a manner as to provide for the advance slot 93 and to return upwardly through guide.

rotation of gear" in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 7, with respect to gear 82. Upon this advance counter-clockwise movement of gear 11, gear 82 is held against movement by means of a pawl I88 mounted on the lower end of plunger 88 and engaging the teeth of the gear 82.

. rotation of the knob in an opposite clockwise direction by means of a spring-pressed pawl 89 mounted on the end wall 23' and engaging a ratchet gear I8I carried on shaft 18.

The electrical connections of this modified form of the invention are illustrated in Figure 9 and are thesame as those used in the preferred form 01' the invention, as illustrated in Figure 4, with the exception of the electrical connections for the solenoid actuator 18. The energizing of the solenoid actuator 19 is controlled by that part of the electrical circuit in the main machine controlled by the film operated switch, as aforementioned. This .film operated switch is connected in an electric circuit energized by line voltage and having terminal contacts at the main machine terminal block at terminals I82 and I83. Since as aforementioned, it is desirable to use a low voltage in the remote control circuit, I incorporate in the auxiliary control box at the main machine a step-down transformer I84, the primary winding of which is connected by conductors I88 and I81 to terminals I82 and I83.

The secondary winding "of the transformer I 84 is connected by cable conductors I88 and I88 to the solenoid actuator 18.

I claim:

1. A remote control unit fora motion picture casing and including an electric switch operatively connected to said circuit, means for supporting a plurality of pictures and operative to successively position said pictures behind said pane, and an electrically controlled means for operating said last named means and adapted for electrical connection to said circuit whereby said pictures will be successively moved to said pane as said film subjects are successively shown.

2. A remote control unit for a motion picture machine having associated therewith an electric casing adapted for connection to said circuit for starting saidmachine, means for supporting a -ni'sm with the showing of each difierent film subject by said machine.

3. A remote control unit for a motion picture machine having associated therewith anelectric circuit for starting and stopping the machine to show in succession a plurality of film subjects carried by the machine and a coin control switch mechanism in said circuit, comprising, a casing Means is provided to prevent having an opening in the front wall thereof, an endless reel including a plurality of pictures, reel supporting means rotatably mounted in said casing for supporting said reel across said opening and for moving said reel to successively dis play the several pictures thereon at said opening, and solenoid actuated means for rotating said reel supporting means by a distance displacing said reel by one complete picture and adapted for connection to said circuit for advancing a different picture to said opening in synchronism with the showing of each different film subject by said machine.

4. A remote control unit for a motion picture machine having associated therewith an electric circuit for starting and stopping the machine to show in succession a plurality of film subjects carried by the machine and a coin control switch mechanism in said circuit, comprising a casing aaeasse having an opening in the front wallthereof, an endless reel including a plurality of pictures, reel supporting means rotatably mounted in said casing for supporting said reel across said opening and {or moving said reel to successively display the several pictures thereon at said opening, solenoid actuated means for rotating said reel supporting means by a distance displacing said reel by one complete picture and adapted ior connection to said circuit for advancing a different picture to said opening in synchronism with the showing of each different fllm subject by said machine, manually operated means ior rotating said reel supporting means independent of said solenoid means, and spring means connected to return said reel supporting means to the position of said solenoid means upon release of said manual means.

ARTHUR H. BOU'I'ERIOUS. 

